Check controlled and dispensing turnstile



CHECK CONTROLLED AND DISPENSING TURNSTILE Filed April 16, 1936 5Shepts-Sheet 1 une 1940. 5 J Y H. M. KILPATRICK 2 4897 CIiEOK CONTROLLEDAND DISPENSING TURNSTILE Filed April 1a, 1936 s Sheets-Sheet 2 June 18,1940.

H. M. I (ILPATRICK 2,204,897

CHECK CONTROLLED AND DISPENSING TURNSTILE Filed April 16, 1936 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Hz/en for:

Patented June 18, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Howard M. Kilpatrick,New York, N. Y.

' Application April 16, 1986, Serial No. 74,775

17 Claim.

This invention relates to dispensing machines and devices, and relatesmore particularly to machines for dispensing cardboard checks andsimilar articles.

5 In many restaurants where customers wait upon themselves, there ispresented to each customer on entering, a check which is subsequently toindicate the total amount of his purchase. Many restaurants are providedwith dispensing l machines from which the customer takes a check andthereby automatically sets in operation mechanism which presents a checkfor the next customer andrings a bell. These machines are supposed todispense with the services of an l attendant to deliver the check to thecustomers;

but in practice during the busy hours, an attendant is usually stationedat the machine to hand the checks to the customers and prevent anycustomer from entering without receiving a 50 check. An object of thepresent invention is to eliminate the need of this attendant. Otherobjects will also appear.

To this end I have provided a machine which projects each check to aposition where it may be taken away by the customenthe machine beingprovided with a turnstile, revolving door or other barrier whichprevents the customer from entering until he has taken the check. As thecustomer passes through the turnstile, the ma chine presents anothercheck and positions the turnstile for the next customer, holding theturnstile locked until said next customer takes away the newly presentedcheck.

While the description herein relates to checks 5 .and turnstiles, it isunderstood that the invention, as claimed in the broader claims is notlimited to them, and that the device may be greatly varied in manyrespects without departing from the scope of the invention as defined inthe broader claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 isa fragmental front elevation,partly in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a fragmental sectional view partly 5 taken on the lines 2-2 ofFig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental view showing motor drive and control therefor;and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation. parts beingbroken 0 away.

The mechanism support The machine is shown carried on a pedestal 5having a base (not shown) adapted to be secured to the floor or othersupport. At the upper 5 end of the pedestal is mounted a housing t havaboss on the housing wall.

ing, in its topand bottom, openings I and 8 rotably receiving a shaftill on which are mounted the turnstile II and various operating wheelsand cams of the device.

While herein the turnstile is of the inclined axis 5 type and mounted onthe bottom of the shaft, rather than the usual axially vertical typemounted on the upper end of the shaft, the invention as claimed is notthus limited. In either case the principle of operation is practicallythe 10 same and will here be described in connection with the inclinedaxis mechanism.

The housing The housing may be made in any suitable manner, and is hereshown as comprising upper and lower castings l2, l3 having a plane ofparting i4 adapted to be secured together by screws I'l.

Turnstile positioning means Keyed or otherwise fast upon said shaft atthe upper part thereof is a spider I 9 carrying three rollers 20,adapted, one or two at a time, yieldably to receive a pressure bar 2ifixed across a plunger rod 22 (Fig. 2) slidably carried in a bore 23 inSaid bar is yieldably pressed against the rollers by a spring 24compressed between shoulders 25 and 26 formed in the bore and on the rodrespectively. Saic bar presses against two rollers at the normalposition 30 of rest of the turnstile and yieldably holds the turnstilein said position andcarries the turnstile to the next position of restafter one of the rollers has passed the middle of the bar.

The positioning spider has three rollers, because I the associatedturnstile has three arms. When the turnstile is provided with adifferent number of arms, said rollers equal such number.

Check feed means wardly through an opening 34 in the'bottom of thehousing, and thence around an angularly disposed flxed pin 35 (Fig. 51)later to be described, thence under a flat guide spring 36 carried onthe pin, and aroundthe .feed wheel 28 for the distance between adjacentpins 29, thence through 55 a guide slot SI (Fig. 2) in a bracket 39, toa discharge slit at the side of the housing, through which the end check32' is partly projected when the stile is in normal position.

The bracket 38 (Fig. 1) is secured fast to the housing wall and isprovided with a lower flat lug 42 to which is secured fast, by ashouldered screw 48, a supporting plate 44 disposed Just under the feedwheel and carrying the cylindrical guide pin 35, the plate beingprovided with an opening 48 loosely receiving the shaft ll.

The outer end of the spring 36 is provided with a longitudinal slot 48(Fig. 4) through which said pins 2! pass as they feed said strips. Whenthe stile is turned from one normal position to the next, the strip isfed the distance of one check.

For threading the check strip, access may be had to the check strip, pin35 and slot 18 through doors l8 and 49 (Fig. 4).

Check cut-on means After the check 32' is fed to the projected position,it is severed from the strip at a perforation 30 (Fig. 1) in order thatthe customer may withdraw it from the machine. This severing isaccomplished by means of a pair of blades 5|, M (Fig. 2), one blade illbeing secured fast to the wall 52 of the bracket 39. the other blade 5|being slidable in a guide slot 53 in the bracket and provided at theouter end with a pivot block 54 to which is pivoted the free end of theactive arm 56 of a three arm cutter lever 56, 51, 5| fulcrumed at 59 ona fixed arm 60 of the bracket ll.

The cutter lever is actuated to cutting pomtion by one of three bumps62, 62' disposed equal angles apart on the periphery of a cutter cam 63secured fast on said shaft III. As the stile moves to normal position,one of said bumps 62 engages a roller G4 on the end of the active arm 51of the cutter lever, and moves the movable blade II to closed position,thus severing the check.

As soon as the stile is moved forwardly from said normal position, thenext forward bump 62' of the cutter cam moves opposite to a roller 65 onthe end of a return arm I8 of the cutter lever and positively forces thecutter lever to retract the blade ii.

During cutting, the passage of the strip through the shears is stoppedwhile the feed wheel moves slightly, and the part of the strip betweenthe blades and feed wheel pin will bend slightly, but will tend tostraighten as soon as the blade ii is retracted.

The stile control mechanism Means are provided to prevent forwardmovement of the stile and entrance of the customer until the customerhas taken the severed ticket from the discharge slit I. This meansincludes a control wheel fast on said shaft II and provided withperipheral stop lugs II, II one for each stile arm, equally spacedaround the control wheel, one of which lugs is adapted (if the severedcheck is not withdrawn) to be engaged and stopped by the hooked free endll of the active arm ll of a three-arm control lever II, 12, I3intermediately fulcrumed on the shouldered screw 43 on the lug 42.

If the severed check be not removed by the customer the feeler end ll ofthe arm 12 of said control lever is engaged by the unremoved severedcheck, and the control lever is held, with the.hooked end II in the pathof the stop lug 0, feeler end passing through an opening ll in the wallof the guide slot It and pressing against the unremoved check. As soon,however, as the check is removed by the customer, the feeler end I!passes through an opening 11 on the opposite wall of the guide slot,under the action of a spring 18 tensioned between the arm H and the sideof the casing. This removes the hooked end 1. from the path of the stoplug and allows the stile to turn and the customer to enter.

In order to remove the feeler end 15 from the path .of the check beforethe next check is fed thereto, a restoring cam provided on the arm 13 ofthe control lever is adapted to be engaged and pushed back by the nextstop lug I! as soon as the stop lug 39 moves from the path of the hookedend ll.

Manual operation The mechanisms just described are sumcient for themanual operation of the machine. The

parts are normally in the position shown in Fig. 2,

soon as the customer takes the severed check, the I feeler end 15 andthe hooked end ll move to releasing position under the action of springII, and allow the customer to turn the stile past the dead center (thepoint where the roller 2| passes the middle of the bar 2|) and then passthrough the stile and enter the restaurant. The locked turnstile gives areminder, to the person attempting to pass, that a check has not beentaken and that he should take a check. The manual operation by thecustomer and the action of the spring 24 cause the stile to move fromone normal position to the next; and while this is taking place thefeeler end 15 is removed from the path of the strip as soon as the stoplug is clears the all hooked end II. Also the blade II is immediatelyretracted because of the action of the bump 02' on the roller 65. Theblade I is not again cloud, on the blade 50, until the next bump 82reaches the roller M as the stile reaches the next normal position ofrest.

Retrograde movement of the stile and exit through the stile areprevented by the pawl and ratchet later to be described.

Motor ope ation If desired, motor operation may be provided and is shownherein. The motor II (m 1 and 3) is driven by current received from asuitable source through conductors 94, ii, l0 (Fig. 3) when the switch01, I is closed.

The motor switch This switch comprises normally separate springconducting members 11, ll connected to the conductors ll, l5.

The switch is normally open when the cam end ill ofthe-spring-lll inoneof the deep notches II! in the switch cam Ill fast on the main-shaft ll:When the customer to turn the stile on his entrance therethrough, theincline ill of the switchcam engag s the cam end Ill and pushes theinsulating block lllsgainstthemember ll,thus closingtheswitch andapplying current to the motor II which drives the stile (as will beexplained), thcland portion ll" oftheswitchcamholdingthes'witch s closeduntil just before the next normal position of the stile is reachedwhereupon the cam end The motor drive mounted in bearing brackets I09,between which its shaft carries a worm H meshing with a worm wheel Illcarried loose on the main shaft lll. Saidjworm wheel carries a pawlspring pressed against a ratchet wheel H6 fast on the j main shaft,whereby the main shaft and stile are driven forwardly by the motor whenthe switch is closed as explained. a

The pawl and ratchet allow the customer to turn the stile faster thanthe motor drives it; but in any case, the switch will open as the stilereaches the next normal position, and the stile cannot pass the nextnormal position until the next check has been removed, and the hookedend In retracted. This motor drive could be used without the dispensingmeans.

The worm wheel cannot rotate the worm. Therefore, the pawl 5 willalways. serve to prevent retrograde movement and prevent exit throughthe stile. But the pawl allows forward movement whether power besupplied to the motor or not. If preferred, the motor and switch may beomitted entirely; but the ratchet and the pawl suitably pivoted shouldbe retained to hold the stile against retrograde movement.

The dispensing device and turnstile are carried on the same pedestal,rather than on sepa rate pedestals on opposite sides of the entrance, tosave the expense of two pedestals and interconnection under the fioorbetween them.

The check is projected at the side where it will be easily seen.customer, after having passed through the turnstile will try to reachback and take another check. However, to discourage this, it would beobvious to position the housing so the slit 40 would be at the entranceside of the stile, so that the newly projected check would projectforwardly of the picture plane of Fig. 1, where it would be out of easyreach of the customer after he had passed through the stile. As anadditional precaution, the projecting check could be surrounded by aguard open only at the front. Should a four-arm turnstile with verticalaxis be used, the stile would have to be above the housing, as is usual;and the arms could be in the form of vertical panels to keep thecustomer from reaching back to take an extra check.

It is understood that the word check" as used in the claims herein isnot limited to restaurant checks, but covers tickets and other articleswhich may be presented by presenting or dispensing means.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination an article presenting means adapted to hold an articlein position to be removed; a barrier to prevent the passage of a personpast said article when in said position; and means set in operation bythe removal ofthe article from said position for causing said barrier toallow the person to pass the barrier.

2. In combination an article holding means adapted to hold an article inposition to be re- It is not thought that a ceived; and means set inoperation by the attempted passage of a person .by said holding meanswithout the removal of the article, to give a reminder that the articlehas not been removed.

and to withhold said remainder if the article has been removed. v

3. A check dispenser comprising a turnstile; and a check presentingmeans operated by the turnstile, when revolved for forcing the personpassing the turnstile to present a check into a position to be removedby the next person passing.

4. A dispenser as in claim 3 comprising means caused by said check whenin said position to hold said turnstile against turning, and adaptedwhen the check is removed to allow the turnstile to be turned.

5. In combination a check presenting means adapted to hold a check inposition to be removed; a barrier to prevent the passage of a personpast said check whenin said position; and means set in operation by theremoval of a check from said position for causing said presenting causedby said end check when in said position to hold said turnstile againstturning, and adapted when the end check is removed to allow theturnstile to be turned, to sever and present another check.

8. In combination, a turnstile having a part adapted to be pushed upon;a check presenting means operated by the turnstile for presenting acheck into a position to be removed; and means caused by said check whenin said position to hold said turnstile against turning, and adaptedwhen the check is removed to allow the turnstile to be turned, and powermeans automatically set in operation when said part is pushed upon tocause said turnstile to revolve.

9. In combination, a turnstile having a part adapted to be pushed; acheck strip feeding means operated by the turnstile, when rotated, forprojecting and severing the end check of the strip; and means caused bysaid check when thus projected to hold said turnstile against turning,and adapted when the check is removed from the projected position toallow the turnstile to be turned; and power means set in operation whensaid part is pushed for turning the turnstile.

10. A check dispenser comprising a turnstile; a check feedingandsevering means operated by the turnstile on turning for severing andpresenting the end check of a' strip into a position to be removed,whereby the person operating the tumstile is forced to furnish the powerwhich presents and severs the check.

11. A dispenser as in claim 10 comprising means caused by said end checkwhen in said position to hold said turnstile against turning, andadapted when the end check is. removed to allow the turnstile to beturned, to sever and present another check, whereby a person isprevented from passing the turnstile until he removes the check.

12. A check dispenser comprising a turnstile having a shaft; a checkfeeding means; a severon turning for operating the feeding and severingior'the turn'stile and means caused by said end check when in saidposition to operate said lock to hold said turnstile against turning,and adapted when the end check is removed to operate said lock to allowthe turnstiie to be turned, to sever and present another check, wherebya person is prevented from passing the turnstile until he removes thecheck.

14. In combination, a completely revolving barrier adapted to revolve inone direction a distance sumcient to allow passage, and having a partadapted to be pushed against; an electric motor automatically set inoperation as soon as said part is pushed against; pawl and ratchet meansbetween said motor and barrier, to cause said motor when operating torevolve the barrier in said direction at a certain speed, and to allowthe .article dispensing means; and mechanism set in operation by thepassage of a person passing the passing means to operate the dispensingmeans.

17. In combination, a barrier; a check presenting means adapted to holda check in position to be removed; and means cooperating with saidbarrier, means and the check when in said position to remind a personmoving against the barrier that the check is still in said position.

HOWARD M. KILPA'I'RICK.

